The present disclosure relates to a device management apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a device management method suitable for collecting device data.
An image forming apparatus, which is one device, is provided with various life counters for measuring the degree of consumption and the like of consumables (various rollers and the like), billing counters for counting the number of sheets used of each size and type of paper used, and the like. The image forming apparatus is, for example, a MFP Multifunction Peripheral) such as a multifunction printer, combination device and the like. Moreover, the image forming apparatus is managed by a device management server that is connected via a network such as the Internet and the like. The device management server periodically acquires from the image forming apparatus, status counter information by various life counters for measuring the degree of consumption and the like of consumables (various rollers and the like) and device information that includes billing counter information by billing counters and the like. Periodically, may be, for example, once a day (for example 17:00). In addition, the device management server manages the state of the image forming apparatus based on status counter information and the like, and manages billing counter information necessary for billing processing.
In regards to this kind of billing processing, in typical technology, a billing server periodically performs a billing process for subtracting the usage fee for the image forming apparatus during a specified period from a prepaid balance for each registered user. Then, when a non-billable state occurs in which the usage fee is greater than the prepaid balance, restriction data for partially restricting the usable function items of the image forming apparatus is correlated with the user information and sent to the image forming apparatus side. On the image forming apparatus side, the sent restriction data is stored, and when restriction data that is correlated with the user information is stored, there is a billing system that partially restricts the function items of the image forming apparatus based on the restriction data.